The Story Of The Second Son Of The Baron Family [EN]: Chapter 71

Baron’s Family Second Son – Episode 71

I’m back!

“What on earth have you been doing, disappearing without a word! You’re old enough to know better; why are you being so immature?”

Home was just as I remembered it. If I took the time to look closely, there would inevitably be changes, but at a glance, it was hard to notice anything different. I was also relieved that my parents seemed to be in much better health than I had imagined. Otherwise, there’s no way I would have ended up with bright red marks on my back for failing to keep in touch.

“I’ve mostly finished the dangerous work. I won’t disappear without a word anymore.”

“Mostly?”

“I’ll tell you more about that later. Where’s my brother? Is he busy with the wedding preparations?”

The mansion was bustling, advertising the upcoming big event. Even those who didn’t know the details could tell something was about to happen just by watching the maids rushing around without a moment’s rest.

“Now that he’s responsible for the territory, he has to keep busy. If those above work hard, those below can relax.”

“…Did you hand it over to him?”

“Yes. An old man like me can’t stay on top forever. These days, I wake up every morning with aching joints. Since the family members are gathering for your brother’s wedding, we decided to formally announce the succession.”

It wasn’t particularly surprising. I had expected it to some extent. Regardless of the number of people involved, being in a position of responsibility is stressful. Unless my brother was incompetent, he should be fine, as he had been assisting and substituting for our father for years, gaining experience. As my father said, it was the right decision for his health.

“…I can only apologize to you. You’ve done so much, but I have nothing to pass on to you.”

“What are you talking about? I’ve enjoyed the rights of a noble all this time, so it’s only natural that I fulfill my obligations. I’ve succeeded with what I’ve gained, so don’t worry about me.”

It’s not for nothing that the second and third sons, excluding the eldest, often become knights or mages. They had to find their own way to make a living. Under the principle of primogeniture [the right of the firstborn son to inherit the family estate], children who weren’t the eldest were no different from commoners, even if they had high status. That’s why I was wandering around, wondering what to do, before my sudden assignment to the Terra Barrier was decided.

“And please accept this.”

“What is this?”

From the wrapped box, a necklace with a pearl-like sphere as its centerpiece sparkled. My father, who never wore even a simple ring or earring due to his frugality, frowned at the expensive-looking necklace, but the explanation that followed prevented him from criticizing me for unnecessary extravagance.

“Don’t worry, I bought it with the money I’ve saved. It’s also my first gift, and money that just sits around can be harmful. It also has magic embedded in it that’s good for your health, so try not to take it off unless you have to. Where’s Mother? I have something to give her too.”

A storm of words poured out. At the same time, I naturally moved away. I felt like he would say something after I finished speaking. Wouldn’t it be disappointing if the first words I heard upon returning, about a gift I had carefully chosen and worked hard to make, were just criticisms?

However, the words my father said from behind as I walked away were enough to dispel any disappointment.

“Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”

“You’re welcome.”

#

My mother was very pleased with the gift. However, despite the valuable present, I couldn’t escape her nagging.

“I would have no more wishes if only you would settle down and start a family.”

“Is there no one you’re maintaining a good relationship with?”

“Matchmakers are coming to me in droves for you. If there’s a woman you’re interested in, just give me a hint. I’ll do whatever it takes to arrange a meeting.”

“You’re almost thirty now. Don’t think you’ll be a vibrant young man in your twenties forever.”

My mother was acting as if my marriage was the last wish left in her life. In her eyes, her son, who lacked nothing, hadn’t shown any signs of settling down even as his younger brother, who was four years younger, was getting married. It wasn’t as if there was something wrong with my appearance.

Even after saying that I would try now that the work I had to do was finished, I was only able to leave after enduring a considerable amount of nagging. I had expected it to some extent when I came here, but as always, reality was harsh.

“You’re here?”

“You look busy; should I come back later?”

“I’m almost done. Sit there and wait a bit.”

It was a position responsible for an entire territory. A position responsible for hundreds of thousands of people. The responsibilities given to the person sitting in that position could never be light.

However, Boris Dragnil, the new lord of the Dragnil territory, was handling the work smoothly. Whether it was thanks to the experience he had accumulated over the years, or because he wanted to show his younger brother, who he was meeting after a long time and who had made a name for himself in the empire, the image of an older brother, or for some other reason, only he knew.

“Our parents were very worried. Of course, so were I and Iriel.”

“It was something I had to do. I told you before, I would head back to the Terra Barrier someday.”

“You should have said something one more time before you left. Does it make sense that we heard the news from passing merchants instead of from you?”

The conversation started with a simple scolding. But I didn’t feel bad. I felt like they were worried about me. In a world where siblings kill each other, isn’t it enough to have a level of brotherly affection where we worry about each other? After ending the short scolding with an apology, I began to ask about the things I was curious about.

“By the way, where are the guests? I haven’t seen anyone except for family members.”

“We didn’t invite any. We decided to have a small ceremony with just close relatives.”

“Is it because of that again?”

“It’s partly because of you too.”

“I seem to be causing nothing but trouble.”

The date was postponed, and even the guests who would have congratulated them were blocked. I wondered if it would have been better not to come, but the decision wouldn’t have changed even if I hadn’t been there. My brother said it was partly because of me, but conversely, it was also a decision that could be made thanks to me.

The neutrality of the powerless is empty; power is essential to shout the word neutrality. And my existence was enough power for the Dragnil territory to shout neutrality. At the same time, there were those who rushed to gain that power, but the deterrent force that prevented them from moving rashly was enough to make up for it.

If I hadn’t been there, it would have been one of two things. Either the wedding wouldn’t have taken place at all, or the main characters wouldn’t have been the center of attention.

In that sense, this small wedding had two meanings: to purely celebrate the main characters and to discourage others from rashly contacting us.

It was fortunate for me. After all, if my family started to get involved, it would have been difficult to achieve the goal of watching the situation unfold while maintaining neutrality.

“Who is the groom-to-be? Perhaps…”

“It’s nothing like that. He’s someone Father and I have carefully considered and approved.”

Having confirmed that my hometown and family were not, and would not be, caught up in unnecessary disputes, I slowly turned my gaze from the outside to the inside. My younger sister’s wedding was something to celebrate, but there was still some anxiety.

The Dragnil barony, which used to be an ordinary rural territory, no longer exists. Ten years after I left my hometown, the Dragnil barony, which earns a considerable amount of money through mana stones and has produced a strong candidate for the next Magic Tower Lord, is now the rising sun, the Dragnil viscountcy [a rank in the nobility, below a count but above a baron].

My mother said that countless matchmakers had come to me, but they couldn’t have only come to me. Fortunately, my brother married a good person, but it was uncertain whether Iriel would do the same. I was worried that a loach [a disruptive element] might be entering clear water, but if my father and brother had given him a good evaluation, there would be no need to worry too much.

“Instead of standing here, why don’t you meet him once? You might see something that Father and I didn’t.”

“Even so, it would be difficult to change anything now, but as someone who will become his brother-in-law, I should at least see the face of the groom.”

Fortunately, the young man who would become my brother-in-law was ordinary. Similar to my brother, who married the daughter of a knight who had served the family for a long time, my brother-in-law was also a knight who had grown up in the Dragnil territory. He had lived in the Dragnil territory for generations, so there was nothing suspicious about him, and his appearance and personality were both decent without any flaws.

Of course, to see a person’s true colors, you have to give them power, so now that he has gone from being a promising knight to the lord’s brother-in-law, we’ll have to see how the diligent and pure young man changes, but my father and brother had met countless people like that. They wouldn’t have taken the task of evaluating the person who would become the partner of their only daughter and younger sister lightly.

Time passed without incident, and tomorrow, I would be able to achieve the purpose for which I had come down to my hometown. I hoped that tomorrow would pass safely without any incidents, but there were always those who lacked tact.

“Congratulations. You make a very well-suited couple.”

Uninvited guests crashed the party.

#

It was the situation that my father feared, that my brother feared, and that I feared. I wondered where they had picked up the news and attended a party they weren’t invited to, but I couldn’t send them back.

No matter how uninvited the guests were, it would be difficult to hear good things if I sent back guests who had come a long way to congratulate us. Whether they were really there to congratulate us, and whether they could be called guests despite not being invited, was secondary.

Moreover, if the Dragnil viscountcy was the sun rising at dawn, each of them was the sun that had already risen to its highest point at noon. Of course, most of them would lose their light after this incident, but for now, it was impossible to deny that they were the core of the empire. And how foolish it would be to mistreat such people.

Nevertheless, the wedding itself ended successfully. It was a little busier, more chaotic, and more distracting than expected, but at least the main characters weren’t changed. It was an undeniable fact that my tearful efforts were involved in that process.

And now that all the schedules were over, I was facing the uninvited guests. Normally, I would have made some excuse to refuse the meeting, but now I had no choice. I had to get through it somehow. Of course, it wouldn’t be easy to deal with people who had lived their entire lives wearing masks and living in a den of demons.

“I’m grateful that you came all the way here to congratulate us, even though you weren’t invited. My younger sister will be very happy to be able to make a new start with the blessings of so many people.”

“Haha. As a member of the Arsen family, it’s only natural to participate in the events of the southern nobility.”

That’s ridiculous. The Dragnil territory is located in the southwest of the empire, but strictly speaking, it would be more accurate to say it’s in the west. Moreover, the weight of the Arsen name was not light enough to attend the wedding of a mere collateral relative, let alone the wedding of a lord.

Marked Arsen.

The person leading the Arsen family in place of Duke Arsen, who has now stepped back from the front lines, was the first uninvited guest I encountered.

Baron’s Family Second Son – Episode 71 – End